？

       Close

       Senate GOP delegation meets Zelensky in Ukraine

       Russia has deployed several thousand Chechen fighters to Mariupol and Luhansk in an effort to buckle Ukrainian resistance, the British ministry of defence said.

       According to the latest British intelligence update, the Kremlin has begun making use of “auxillary personnel” to bolster its attempt to capture to key port city in a battle that has already inflicted costly losses amongst Russian forces.

       “These [Chechen] forces likely consist of both individual volunteers and National Guard units, which are routinely dedicated to securing the rule of Chechen Republic Head, Ramazan Kadyrov.”

       The update added that these measures show Vladimir Putin’s invasion is being hampered by a “disunited command.”

       The assessment comes as Ukraine is set to hold its first war crimes trial against. The soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, 21, has been charged with the premeditated murder of a 62-year-old within days of Russia’s invasion in Sumy. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.

       Recommended Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The conflict explained Zelensky quotes Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator as he addresses audience at Cannes opening ceremony Trevelyan plans to ‘de-Putinise’ world economy by ending reliance on Russian gas Sky News journalist ducks for cover as blast heard nearby in Kharkiv

       Key Points Russian invasion struggling under ‘disunited command’ , claims MoD ‘They’ve sown Europe with corpses,’ Zelensky says of Russia Fears grow for Mariupol fighters Finland and Sweden ‘optimistic’ Turkey will approve Nato bids Staunch Mariupol defence ‘changed course of war’, as fighters face uncertain fate

       Show latest update 1652875234 Russia's expulsion of Italian diplomats "hostile act" - PM Draghi

       Russia's decision to expel Italian diplomats is an "hostile act", prime minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday, warning diplomatic channels with Moscow must not be interrupted.

       Russia will expel 24 Italian diplomats in a retaliatory move, news agency RIA cited the foreign ministry as saying - the latest in a series of tit-for-tat responses to European countries that have ordered out Russian staff.

       "This absolutely must not lead to an interruption of diplomatic channels because it is through those channels that, if we succeed, peace will be achieved and that is certainly what we want," Mr Draghi said.

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 13:00

       1652874334 Russia says there is no movement in peace talks with Ukraine

       Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that there was no movement in peace talks with Ukraine, and that Kyiv was showing a total unwillingness to continue them.

       "Negotiations are not progressing and we note the complete unwillingness of Ukrainian negotiators to continue this process", Peskov said.

       On Tuesday Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko as saying that Russia and Ukraine were not holding talks "in any form", and that Kyiv had "practically withdrawn from the negotiation process".

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:45

       1652872834 Nearly 1,000 fighters have left Mariupol

       Nearly 700 more Ukrainian fighters surrendered at the Mariupol steelworks in the past 24 hours, Russia said on Wednesday, but leaders were reported to still be holed up inside, delaying the final end of Europe's longest and bloodiest battle for decades.

       Finland and Sweden meanwhile formally applied to join Nato, bringing about the very expansion that Russian president Vladimir Putin has long cited as one of his main reasons for launching the "special military operation" in February.

       Russia's ministry of defence said the surrender of 694 more fighters meant a total of 959 people had now lain down their arms at the vast Azovstal steelworks - last bastion of Ukrainian defenders in the city.

       If confirmed, the Russian announcement would resolve much of the mystery surrounding the fate of hundreds of fighters inside the plant, since Ukraine announced on Tuesday it had ordered the entire garrison to stand down. The Ukrainian defence ministry, which has so far confirmed only about 250 having left the plant, did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.

       This screen grab obtained from a handout video taken on May 17, 2022 and released by the Russian Defence Ministry on May 18, 2022, shows Ukrainian service members as they line up on a road in front of pro-Russian military personnel after leaving the besieged Azovstal steel plan

       (Russian Defence Ministry/AFP via)

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:20

       1652872534 France condemns Russia move to expel staff from French Embassy in Moscow

       France condemns Russia's decision to expel diplomats and staff from the French Embassy in Moscow, said the French Foreign Affairs Ministry.

       Russia's foreign ministry had said earlier on Wednesday that it was expelling 34 French diplomats in a retaliatory move.

       France in April kicked out 35 Russians with diplomatic status as part of a broader wave of expulsions that saw more than 300 Russians sent home from European capitals.

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:15

       1652872474 Russia expels 34 French diplomats in retaliatory move

       Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it was expelling 34 French diplomats in a retaliatory move.

       France in April kicked out 35 Russians with diplomatic status as part of a broader wave of expulsions that saw more than 300 Russians sent home from European capitals.

       Later that month France's foreign ministry declared six Russian agents posing as diplomats as "persona non grata" after an investigation by the domestic intelligence services concluded they were working against French national interests.

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:14

       1652872174 Russia to expel 24 Italian diplomats in retaliatory move

       Russia will expel 24 Italian diplomats in a retaliatory move, state news agency RIA cited the foreign ministry as saying on Wednesday - the latest in a series of tit-for-tat responses to European countries that have ordered out Russian staff.

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:09

       1652871634 Britain eyes green trade to end world's dependence on Russian energy

       Green trade deals can help to end global dependence on Russian oil and gas and "de-Putinise" the world economy, Britain's trade minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said on Wednesday, hinting that firms could be made to invest more in green technologies.

       Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that it was impossible for some European countries to quickly ditch Russian oil, as the European Union is proposing. Britain is less dependent on Russian energy than its continental neighbours.

       “This terrible conflict has underlined what can be achieved through a cohesive global approach. It has also reminded us that, most urgently, we must de-Putinise the worlda？？s economy," Trevelyan said at the speech at Bloomberg in central London.

       “These past months have highlighted the need to accelerate our journey as a global community away from hydrocarbons: to decisively turn our backs on the era of dependence on polluting fuels, and transition to a Net Zero future.”

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 12:00

       1652870264 Russia to deploy ‘several thousand Chechen fighters’

       Russia has deployed several thousand Chechen fighters to Mariupol and Luhansk in an effort to buckle Ukrainian resistance, the British ministry of defence said.

       According to the latest British intelligence update, the Kremlin has begun making use of “auxillary personnel” to bolster its attempt to capture to key port city in a battle that has already inflicted costly losses amongst Russian forces.

       “In an attempt to overcome Russian resistance, Russia has made significant use of auxillary personnel. This includes deployment of Chechen forces,” the update said.

       “These [Chechen] forces likely consist of both individual volunteers and National Guard units, which are routinely dedicated to securing the rule of Chechen Republic Head, Ramazan Kadyrov.”

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 11:37

       1652868894 First war crimes trial since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine opens in Kyiv

       Authorities in Ukraine are set to start the first ever war crimes trial against a Russian soldier who has been accused of gunning down an unarmed civilian.

       The captured Russian soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, will be presented at Kyiv’s Solomyansky district court at 2pm (12pm BST) on Wednesday. Other similar trials are expected to follow in the coming days as war rages on in the European country for the third month.

       Mr Shishimarin was leading the Kantemirovskaya tank division as the unit’s commander on 28 February, when he fired through a car window in Sumy Oblast’s Chupakhivka village.

       Read the full story below:

       First war crimes trial since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine opens in Kyiv Vadim Shishimarin has been accused of gunning down an unarmed civilian in Chupakhivka village

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 11:14

       1652867734 ICYMI: Volodymyr Zelensky receives standing ovation as he addresses Cannes Film Festival

       ？

       Volodymyr Zelensky receives standing ovation as he addresses Cannes Film Festival

       Thomas Kingsley 18 May 2022 10:55

       Newer 1 / 6 Older